Duplex wrapping machine



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 D. M. FINCKE EI'AL Filed Aug. 23, 1940 II Il ||\|I DUPLEX WRAPPING MACHINE Il Il 'Il wwN N QN Y Nov. 30, 1943.

INVENTOR DONALD M.F|NCKE LESTER E NCI ATTORNEY Nw'ao, 1943.,` D M HNCKE mL 2,335,750

DUPLEX wRAPPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 23, 1940 3 SheetS-Sheeb 2 F I G53 1,02 y 102 L` /I' 'jf 7] 90 O Q LI 1N ENTdR 1.15 80 42 DONALD M. FINCTE STER F BY ATTORNEY Filed Aug. 25, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 @mw www www QmN @WN @WN MGE.

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WE Y RF.R E mmv... DN NDR O km mNs m Y B www mwN Patented Nov. 30, 1943 anais@ DUPLEX WRAPPINGMACHINE- Donald M. Fincke, Great Neck, and Lester Ferenci,

Brooklyn,

N. Y., assignors to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey applicati@ August 23, 1940, serial No. stasi@ (C1. sis- 2) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to wrapping machines, more particularly to improvements in existing types of wrapping machines which will render them capable of duplex operation. An object of the invention is to advance al pair of fractional loaves, short loaves or other articles in parallel paths in unison through a pair of mechanisms for enfolding the loaves or articles in separate wrappers and folding the ends thereof inwardly over the ends of the articles, and thence through heat sealers to delivery belts. Thus the fractional loaves or articles will be expeditiously and eiiiciently wrapped.

Other objects of the invention are to provide pantry packages by wrapping the pairs of packages delivered from a duplex machine with-. in a common outer wrapper and to slice whole loaves and spread them into separate loaf halves prior to the delivery to the duplex machine. By this principle the loaf-halves will proceed through the various operations side by Iside and need not be transposed for either the inner or outer wrapping operation vand the wrapped halves of each loaf will always be reassembled in the package.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of the conveyor which advances the fractional loaves or articles to a predetermined station for delivery to the lifter table vwhereby the flights of the conveyor may be adjusted to accommodate pairs of articles of various lengths. Another object of the invention is to provide two sets of tuckers on the lifter table and to simultaneously advance a pair of webs in front of each set of tuckers to tuck the ends of the wrappers partially enfolded about the articles during delivery thereof to the lifter table by a pusher. Each set of tuckers may be equipped with an independent back tension plate whereby each plate will yield independently of the other to compensate for different widths of the articles in any pair being delivered to the table.

Still another object is to provide a novel construction of the pusher with spaced article-engaging faces to engage successive pairs of articles in the conveyor and deliver them simultaneously to the lifter table. With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in View, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter fully described and then specifically setforth in the claims hereunto appended. v In the accompanying drawings which form a part oi this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine exemplifying the invention;

Fig 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail View of the lifter table on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the web-feeding mechanism for advancing a pair of webs of Wrapping material simultaneously into the path of the articles being delivered from the conveyor to the lifter table;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of suitable construction for the formation of pantry loaf packages and Fig. 6 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to Fig. 1, the loaf halves L, or other articles, may be delivered from chutes 2 and 4 between sets of flights E, 8 and Il), I2 which are arranged to admit loaf halves therebetween and transport them to a predetermined delivery station. The loaf halves may be delivered to the chutes from Slicers (not shown) by pushers I4 and I8 carried by sprocket chains (not shown). The mounting of the pushers on the sprocket chains and the mechanism for driving the chains may be similar to that shown in the patent to R. J. Beutel, No. 2,205,338, issued June 18, 1940, to which reference may be had for a complete disclosure thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the conveyor comprises a driven shaft I8 carrying a sprocket 20 keyed thereon and two sprockets 22 and 24 clamped either to sprocket 20 or shaft I8, wherebyrthey may be unclamped and turned relatively to sprocket 2d, and an idler shaft carrying sprockets 2i, 23 and 2li. Each of the sprockets 20, 22 and 2li carries a sprocket chain 26, 28 and 3U, respectively, and the flights and I0 are fastened to the sprocket chain 26 in positions to engage the adjacent ends of a pair of loaves and the iiights 6 and i2 are fastened to the sprocket chains 28 and 3d, respectively, in positions to engage the respective outer ends of the pair of loaves delivered between the flights. Thus upon turning the sprockets 22 and 24 relatively to sprocket 2t, the spaces between the ilights 6 and 8 and lil and I2 may be increased or diminished to accommodate longer or shorter loaf halves or other articles. It may be noted that each of the chutes may have adjustable side walls to accommodate articles of various lengths.

. The pusher which ejects the loaves from between the flights of the conveyor, may be equipped with spaced pusher plates 32 carried by rods 34 and connected by a cross-bar 36 (Fig. 2) which isco-nnected by a link. 38 to a lever 4o actuated vby a cam (not shown). The pusher plates 32 are spaced sufciently to engage the loaves between the sets of nights at the delivery station and eject the same on to the lifter table 42 which is lowered by a link lill actuated from a cam (not shown) into a position to receive the loaves.

c A pair of webs of wrapping material W are guided.l into positions wherein their free endsl are disposed between the delivery station of the conveyor and the lifter table (Fig. e). Suitable webfeeds of the type shown in the patent to G. W. Gwinn, No. 1,626,409, issued April 26', 1927, are illustrated in Fig. fl, comprising rolls of waxed paper or other suitable wrapping material 5l) from which the webs are drawn and looped over a continuously driven pulley 52 and guided under a floating roller 5i? and over a table (not shown) to positions wherein their free ends hang between the conveyor and the lifter table. The webs are held against the table (not shown) by pivoted weights (not shown) which prevent retrograde movement of the webs without interfering with the forward movement thereof during the enfoldment of the articles in the free ends of the webs.

During the delivery of the articles to the lifter table, they will partially be enfolded in the pendant ends of the webs and the webs will be drawn forward sufficiently to lift the floating rollers without interfering with the continuous feeding action of the pulleys When the forward feeding of the leading ends of the webs stops, as when the enfolding operation is completed, the floatl ing rollers again descend and forni loops in the webs.

While the articles are being enfolded in the webs of vwrapping material during their delivery to the lifter, the portions of the wrapping material projecting over the ends of the articles are tucked by two sets of tuckers 45S and |52. The tuckers e2 are secured to the mid-section of the lifter table and the tuckers are fastened to arms GS which are adjustably ets 68 slidably mounted on the shaft it, at either side of the hub of the lifter table which is pivoted on the shaft l). The brackets 63 have beveled ends engaging rollers 'l2 mounted on a block 'i4 loosely mounted on shaft it and disposed within a slot in the hub of the lifter. Springs (not shown) hold the ends of the brackets against the rollers, and block lli is intermittently rocked from a cam (not shown) whereby the rollers '|'2 spread the tuckers @il apart to admit the loaves being delivered to the table. As the block rocks back to initial position the tuckers move inwardly to tuck the wrapping material over the ends of the loaves.

Between each pair of tuckers is located a back tension plate i3d slidably mounted on the table and pressing the web against the forward side of the respective loaf being inserted between the tuckers, to assure the enfoldment thereof in the wrapping material. A post 82 fastened to the lifter table carries a cross-bar Si! provided with leaf springs et projecting forwardly to engage and press the webs against the tops of the articles.

When the lifter table rises it pulls o-fl more wrapping material from the rolls and carries the partially enfolded loaves to a horizontal level in alignment with a sealing table 83 (Fig. 2), the webs being draped over the rear side of the loaves by a roller (not shown) carried by cam-actuated arms (not shown) which operate during the ascent of the table. At the raised position of the lifter tab-le the feed rolls do, which are. carried by an` oscillating frame 92 rocked by a connecting rod Sii from a cam (not shown) and may be driven from suitable mechanism such as shown in the patent to T. Jensen, No. 2,118,513, issued May 2li, 1938, pinch the webs of wrapping material against the roller 9% mounted on the lifter table; and the feed rolls et may be driven inthe mounted on brackproper direction to feed an additional length of wrapping material or in the opposite direction to apply tension to the webs, or revolve idly. Then a knife t8 mounted on a frame it@ pivoted on the fulcrum of the frame 93 is actuated from a cam (not sho-wn) to sever the webs and the enf-olded articles are advanced on to the sealing table by flights |632 carried by cross-bars Hill supported by sprocket chains los driven from sprockets |08.

During the ascent of the lifter table the top folds of the wrappers are folded down over the tuckers by stationary top folders Hi! and H2. The top folders are supported from frames H4 slidably mounted on rods I hi and the top folders H2 may be mounted on brackets H6 fastened to the sealer table. The plough folders H8 and |26.) fold the wrapper flaps at the foremost side of the loaves backward over the ends of the loaves, the folders H8 being mounted on the frames H4 and the folders |2] being supported on the brackets H5. The bottom folders |22 and |24, which fold the bottom wrapper flaps upwardly over the ends of package advanced along the sealing table, are mounted on the frames iii; and brackets H5 respectively; and the heat sealers |26 and |28, which fuse the overlapped wrapper flaps together, are similarly mounted on the frames Hfi and brackets H6, respectively. A screw shaft (not shown) has right and left hand threaded portions threaded into the frames H4 respectively whereby the folders HS, H8 and |22 may be adjusted toward and away from each other to accommodate articles of various lengths.

The packages entering the heat sealers E26 and |28 areI advanced therefrom by the following packages and mover over bottom sealers |36 and |32, which seal the bottom seam of the packages. Upon emerging from the sealers the packages enter between the side belts i311 and rest on bottom vbelts |36, the belts coacting to deliver the .wrapped packages and the outer side belts being adjustable to accommodate various sizes of articles. If desired each pair of' packages may be assembled for enclosure in a common outer wrapper for the formation of a pantry loaf package, or they may be disposed of separately.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, wherein a duplex ywrapping machine is shown in conjunction with a slicing machine and a machine for assembling the hwrapped loaf halves and wrapping them withinl an outer wrapper for the formation of a pantry loaf package, the loaves L are fed in between the side guides Eilii of a slicer and ade vanced through sets of slicer blades mounted in reciprocating frames (not shown) slidingly mounted in a casting Zeil by a bottom conveyor belt (not shown) and a top tension belt 262.

The loaves emerge from the slicer blades in sliced condition and are engaged by flights 2% carried by an endless conveyor (not shown) which advance the sliced loaves between diverging sidewalls El and against a wedge-shaped element fillY which enters between the two middie slices of the loaves and spread the half loaves to either side thereof against the side walls 268 whereby half loaves are delivered to the in-feed conveyor of the duplex wrapping machine. The construction of the mechanism for driving the conveyor belt and slcer as well as the driving `mechanism for its coacting top belt 202 and the conveyor carrying the flights 2li@ may be similar to that shown in the patent to R. J. Beutel, No. 2,205,338, issued June 18. 1940, wherefore further description thereof would seem unnecessary.

The spaced half loaves are delivered between the flights 2|2, 2l4, 2I6 and ZIB of the in-feed conveyor, said flights being mounted on three sprocket chains running over the sprockets 220, 222 and 224 and 226 and 228 and 230. The construction of the flights and the sprocketl chains may be similar to that described above and sprocket 220 may be keyed or otherwise fastened to its shaft 232, while the sprockets 222 and 224 are adjustable relatively thereto on shaft 232, whereby the spacing between the flights of the in-feed conveyor may be varied in a manner similar to that described above. Shaft 232 carries a bevel gear 234 driven from a bevel gear 236 which may be suitably driven from the main drive of the duplex wrapping machine. Each pair of half loaves may be ejected by a pusher (not shown) from the flights of the in-feed conveyor on to lifter table (no-t shown), which may be provided with guides on its bottom through which two webs of wrapping materials are fed while the lifter table is at its upper position, so that the leading ends of the webs will be supported and gripped on the supporting member 238 while the lifter table descends. The webs are severed at the proper point to provide wrappers of the proper length, and during the descent of the lifter table the portions of the wrappers within the guides on the bottom o-f the table are sufficiently withdrawn to extend vertically across the path of the loaves delivered by the pusher to the lifter table at the lower position of the latter. Two sets of tuckers are provided on the lifter table to tuck the wrappers over the ends of the half-loaves delivered thereon by the pusher, and the leading ends of the wrappers are released to permit the wrappers to be draped down over the outer sides of the loaves as they are raised by the lifter table by a member (not shown). The construction of the machine for wrapping the half-loaves may be similar to that shown in the patent to L. Ferenci, No. 2,133,503, issued October 18, 1938, except that the webs of wrapping material are fed from the rolls 240 by web feeding mechanisms similar to that shown in the co-pending application of J. A. Neumair, S. N. 310,476, filed December 22, 1939. The top flaps of the wrapper are folded down over the ends of the half-loaves by pairs of stationary folders (not shown) similar to those shown in Patent No. 2,133,503, and the front side aps and bottom flaps are folded over the ends of the half-loaves by folders 242 and 244 which are similar to those shown in Patent No. 2,133,503 and are similarly heated to seal the folded wrapper ends. The inner folders 244 are stationary and the outer folders are adjustable. The wrapped loaves are advanced through the folders by a conveyor (not shown) and enter between delivery belts 246 and 248 which deposit them in front of flights 250 carried by a continuously traveling conveyor 252 whereby they are advanced into engagement with converging side walls 254 which bring the half loaves of each successive pair into juxta-position for delivery to the in-feed conveyor of a bread wrapping machine of the type shown in the said Patent No. 2,133,503. This in-feed conveyor has flights 256 advancing the assembled pairs of half loaves into position to be deliveredby a pusher (not shown) to a lifter table (not shown) whereby they are enfolded in a length of wrapping material severed from a web X drawn from the roll 260 which is tucked over the ends of the assembled pair of half-loaves by tuckers (not shown) provided on the lifter table. The top flaps are folded down over the ends of the package by folders 262 and the front side naps and bottom flaps are folded thereover and sealed by folders 264. rl'he construction of the mechanism for feeding the web of wrapping material from the roll 260 may be similar to that shown in the co-pending application of J. A. Neumair, Serial No. 310,476, filed December 22, 1939, mentioned above. The finished packages issuing from the folders 264 are admitted between delivery belts 266 which advance the pantry packages into convenient delivery position upon a delivery table 268.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a lifter table movable from a lower position to an upper position, two sets of tuckers on said lifter table, devices for guiding a pair of wrappers into positions in front of said table, and means for simultaneously delivering a pair of articles to said table while the latter is at its lower position, whereby each of the articles will be simultaneously partially enfolded in one of the wrappers and the ends of wrappers will be tucked over the ends of the articles, and separate yielding plates disposed between each set of tuckers and arranged to press the wrappers against the articles inserted between the tuckers by said pusher whereby said members will be independently displaced backwardly by the articles delivered between the tuckers and separate members supported on said table and arranged to engage the tops of the pair of articles inserted between the sets of tuckers and retain the articles on the table as the latter moves to its position.

2. In a wrapping machine, the combination with means for advancing a pair of articles to a predetermined station, said means including a drive shaft, a primary sprocket mounted on said shaft, a primary sprocket chain driven by said primary sprocket, a pair of flights mounted on said primary chain and adapted respectively to engage the trailing end of the leading article of said pair and the leading end of the trailing article of said pair, a pair of secondary sprockets mounted on said shaft, a pair of secondary sprocket chains driven by said secondary sprockets, a flight mounted on one of said secondary chains and arranged to grip the leading end of the leading article of said pair, and a flight mounted on the other secondary chain and adapted to grip the trailing end of the trailing article of said pair, of a single lifter table movable from a lower position to an upper position, two sets of inner and outer tuckers mounted on said table, the space between the inner and outer tucker of each set being sufficient to admit an article, and the outer tucker of each set being adjustable toward and away from the inner tucker of each set to admit a pair of articles of various lengths between the two sets of tuckers, and means for delivering a pair of articles simultaneously from said Astation to positions between said sets of tuckers while said table is at its lower position,said secondary sprockets being rotatably adjustable cn said shaft to displace said secondary flights toward and away from the primary ights to accommodate a pair of articles of various lengths between the primary and secondary nights.

DONALD M. FINCKE. LESTER FERENCI. 

